I always rushed into the car
On ski weekends, I'd stay on the slopes until my legs asked me to stop. One more run, then the actual last one. I'd reach the car tired and happy, take off my heavy boots and start thinking about the drive home.
They were good days. But right at the end, with the mountain still in front of me and the hours of skiing beginning to sink in, I'd hurry to close the door and leave. Coffee could wait until later.
I bought myself a coffee kit to change that ending. A finjan, a portable gas stove, regular coffee and coffee with cardamom, halva and two small glass cups. I didn't need anyone to join me. I wanted coffee for myself, before the drive.
Before I even sat in the driver's seat
I checked the equipment instructions and the site's rules ahead of time. I also packed a thermos as a backup for a day when I couldn't safely use the stove.
That weekend, after hours of skiing, I returned to the car without getting straight in. I put my gear aside and changed my boots. In a permitted, suitable spot outside, beside the car rather than inside it, I made myself coffee in the finjan according to the instructions.
I chose the cardamom coffee this time. When I caught its smell, I stopped thinking about the first turn on the drive home. I looked at the mountain, trying to spot the run I'd skied earlier. It looked completely different from the parking lot.
The last run wasn't the end anymore
I poured coffee into one cup and took a small piece of halva. The second cup stayed with my gear. This time I was alone, exactly as I'd wanted.
I drank slowly. I remembered the run that had gone well and the one where I'd lost my balance and laughed at myself. All day, I'd wanted to fit in another run. Now I didn't want to fit in anything.
When I finished, I turned off and packed away the equipment according to its instructions, collected everything and only then got into the car. I hadn't skied any longer or gone somewhere new. I'd just given myself a few more minutes at the end.
Now, on the way to ski, I think about the coffee afterward too. For me, that's what turned a good weekend into a perfect one.